The following email was received from a reader explaining their experience with the potentially invasive nature of red wiggler compost worms. Printed with permission.
Hello Paul,
I just read your article about how red wrigglers are probably not invasive. I had an indoor worm composting bin about 9 years ago.
Eventually, we got rid of the indoor bin and put the worms and compost into our outdoor compost pile and the raised beds of my vegetable garden.
Now the worms have overrun the soil in the raised beds. Despite adding fresh soil and mulch every year, the soil is almost completely worm castings. They are voracious and seem to be living through the RI winters just fine.
I’m suspecting that the sale and shipment of worms should come with a warning and direction for what people should do with the worms if they should have to end their indoor worm farming.
I have also been reading that worms are starting to wreak havoc in American forests.
Just wanted to get the word out,
Robin in Rhode Island